Remembering
by red-gumboots
Summary: Donna remembers everything. And then she wakes up in hospital.


I was never anybody special. I never really wanted to be either. I guess to some people - to a lot of people actually - I'm still nobody special. But for one moment - for just a few minutes - I was the most important person in the universe. How many other people can say that?

The truth is, I didn't remember it for the longest of times. And then all the memories came flooding back; a floodgate disappeared and they poured into my mind. They seeped into every crack and crevice - so many sights, sound, smells and tastes. So many words I'd never heard of. So many places I'd never been. And yet I knew them all as though they were my home. It hurt like hell. For thousands of years of knowledge - hundreds of thousands really - to suddenly come pouring into your mind... I thought I was going to die. Or I would've thought I was going to die - if there had been room in my mind for thoughts. Granddad was in hysterics. Mum was too. Apparently I was asleep for an entire week. I think that's pretty short considering the amount of information that was being crammed into my mind.

I woke up in the hospital. I've never spent much time in the hospital before. I was never an adventurous kid who broke a different bone every month. I never got incredibly sick and had to be rushed off to hospital. The doctors hadn't thought I would wake up. They said that they had no idea what was happening - but that the activity in my brain was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Must've cost my mum and granddad a pretty penny for all of that. But anyway, so I woke up in hospital and at first I couldn't open my eyes. I could hear Mum ranting to Gramps. Ranting about "that wretched doctor". I guess a week ago I wouldn't have even known who he was. Now the name evoked so many powerful emotions, it almost hurt.

"This is your fault you know!" Mum said. "You should never have said that name to her. We were told what would happen! And now-" she broke off. A moment later I heard a hiccuping sound and realised she was crying.

"I know. I'm sorry," Gramps said.

"Alright you two, that's enough," I found my voice. It took almost all of my willpower to force my eyelids open. The sterile whiteness of the room dazzled me for a moment.

"Donna?" Mum rushed over to my side. "You had us worried sick!"

"Oh Donna, I'm glad you're awake," Gramps said.

Suddenly, the room felt small. Too small. I sat up and pulled off the covers. An IVF ran into my arm and I ripped it out. Mum and Gramps were both yelling at me to stop - to calm down. But I had to get out. I was suffocating. I swung my legs out of bed and my bare feet touched the cold ground. I staggered into the wall, hitting my shoulder, and then made my way to the door, pulling free from Gramps's hands. And then I was out in the corridor. I was almost running. I had to get outside. I had to get some air. After a series of confusing twists and turns, I finally found the exit. The automatic doors welcomed me back into the world and I staggered onto the pathway.

Suddenly, too dizzy to stand I sunk to the ground. It was still too small. The world was too small. My mind was too small. The memories hammered away inside my head, trying to break out and join the world. I pressed two hands to my head, trying to cram them desperately back inside. And then two rough hands were covering mine. I looked up, startled, and blinked as the sun tried to take the limelight. After a moment my eyes adjusted.

"Doctor," it was a breath - hardly even a word.

"Hi Donna," he said. And then we were hugging. Hugging like we hadn't seen each other in years - which was the case. I forgot about the pounding in my head. I forgot that I shouldn't be alive. I was finally back with him - back with the Doctor. I was back with my mate.

"You!" it was my mother's outraged cry that broke up our reunion. "Get away from her! This is your fault!"

The Doctor quickly let go of me but didn't shift his eyes from my face. "Donna," his voice was urgent, "I need you to look at me."

The thing inside my head was trying to get out again. My head pounded as my mind was torn open.

"Look at me Donna."

Somehow I heard him. I opened my eyes and found myself gazing into his steady brown ones. All of a sudden I was aware of the familiarity of this situation: his hands on the side of my head, as he gazed into my eyes.

"No! No no no no. No Doctor. No - not again. Please," I was reduced to sobs as I struggled to get away from him.

"Calm down, Donna. It's okay. I'm not going to make you forget again. I'm just going to make things less painful. You have to trust me," he spoke firmly. "Donna, do you trust me?"

I hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Okay. Now, Donna the temp - Donna the most important person in the universe - close your eyes."

I obeyed. And then the pain was gone. And the memories remained. I opened my eyes. "What did you... what did you do?"

"I just added a little something to your mind. Bit of Timelord in you again. Make things a bit easier to handle."

"What... Why didn't you do that the first time?"

"Didn't know how. It's a new trick I've picked up."

"Oh," I stood up off the ground and brushed myself off. I was suddenly aware that I was dressed only in a hospital gown.

"Come on Donna, let's go get you changed, hey?" Granddad said, putting an arm around me. He turned to the Doctor, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Here to help," the Doctor said smiling.

"Wait! You can't leave. Doctor you can't leave me again!" panic gripped me.

"It's okay Donna - I won't leave."

"So, we can travel again? I mean that is if you don't already have someone that you are travelling with and don't want company - I mean if you do want company and you don't have some or you do -"

"Donna - that would be brilliant," he said, looking down somewhat shyly.

"Really?"

He looked up again, meeting my eyes and grinned widely, "Allons-y!"


End file.
